Dunfermline boss James McPake previews match at Hamilton

Pars will travel along the M8 to face the Accies tomorrow (Saturday) with at least two new signings on the bus after Celtic goalie Tobi Oluwayemi signed on loan and midfielder Josh Cooper agreed a one year contract.

Asked if the fans could expect more new recruits, Athletic boss James McPake said: "Hopefully, yeah.

"In time for tomorrow? I’m hopeful. If not then certainly early next week, one or two.”

Although the team are bottom of the Championship pile with no points and no goals, the boss now senses a change in mindset and renewed hope ahead of the trip to Lanarkshire.

He confirmed: "Football is always tough. What makes it better is winning games of football and having options that can affect the game.

"There is an optimism about the place. I can feel it with the players.

"I can see it in their training. They know when there's competition for places all over the pitch, they grow that half inch taller and they all want to show you they're the one that should be picked."

Josh Cooper, left, and Tobi Oluwayemi have joined Dunfermline in the past two days - and more signings are set to follow. (Image: Craig Brown)

The boss has pointed out all summer that his squad wasn't strong enough to challenge at the top end of the Championship but after the outgoing German investors confirmed that funds would be released for new players, they've gone shopping.

McPake said their fortunes can quickly change and explained: "The biggest thing in football is winning games. It's probably the simplest answer but you win a game and everything is OK.

"It's not quite as simple as that. As I said after the Falkirk game, had we won those two games you would think everything is rosy, but we still knew we needed strength in depth in this squad.

"We've addressed that, we're doing that, David (Cook, CEO) has been great with that this week in particular.

"It's been non-stop so credit to him for that. We've got two in at the minute, it could potentially be more by tomorrow hopefully, but certainly next week it will be more than two. I know that.

"That's positive. The fans will be positive with that as well. They want to see new signings, they want to see new players in their team and they're going to see that over the next wee while."

READ MORE: Upheaval off the pitch but Pars boss insists it's 'business as usual'

He went on: “We are lifted, the fans are lifted. At a football club new signings coming in does lift you but I think sometimes what is not looked upon is what it does for a dressing room.

"I get the side where if a striker comes in, a goalkeeper, whatever position, people are looking over their shoulder but I don’t think that’s the case.

"I think wherever a new player comes in they are all a team and know that they want to win games and push each other.

“For me it raises the standard of the training.

"It raises the standard of individuals where they are thinking there is going to be strength in depth in this squad - if I’m not at it then I will be sitting on the bench or in the stand."

READ MORE: Athletic boss 'desperate' to turn around their season

Hamilton, who have had their own off-field financial issues to deal with, are just one place and one point above the Pars.

McPake said: "We're hoping that the fans will travel and back us. It's the first time we've seen the fans since the Falkirk game so we want them there, we want them loud and vocal as they always are with that away crowd behind us.

"All they want to see is a team that works really hard and wins games and that's what we'll hopefully do when we go down to Hamilton tomorrow."

He added: "If we just go and win the game, it doesn't matter how you win it.

"You can play rubbish and win 1-0 or play brilliant and win 4-0, but when it gets to 10 o'clock on a Saturday night it's the same thing.

"You've got three points, the supporters are up the road happy and we have a good weekend."